Twins vs Astros Recap: Bell, Caratini power 5-4 win

The Minnesota Twins rolled into Houston for a Tuesday night showdown at Minute Maid Park. After winning their last two games, the Twins came in confident and ready to fight. The Astros sat at 42-45, hunting for wins to stay in the race. Both teams needed this game badly. Byron Buxton was out of the lineup for Minnesota due to a hip injury. The Astros were missing Jeremy Pena at shortstop after a calf strain. In the fourth inning, Royce Lewis launched a changeup from Peter Lambert deep to left field — 375 feet of pure power. The ball soared over the wall and Minnesota led 1-0. Victor Caratini didn't wait long. Two pitches later, he crushed a slider to center field. The Twins were cooking now, up 2-0 with the crowd already restless.

The Astros weren't going down without a fight. Cam Smith stepped up in the bottom of the fifth and took a slider from Zebby Matthews and crushed it left — 408 feet of thunder. Houston cut it to 2-1 and the stadium came alive. But Minnesota answered right back. In the sixth inning, Josh Bell connected on a fastball from Lambert. The ball rocketed to right-center field — 413 feet of pure distance. Brooks Lee scored and Bell's two-run blast made it 4-1 Twins. The lead was stretching wider. Then in the seventh, Kody Clemens grounded out to shortstop but Luke Keaschall sprinted home on the play. Minnesota pushed it to 5-1. Zebby Matthews was throwing heat on the mound, keeping Houston's bats quiet through seven innings. The Twins looked in control.

Houston wasn't finished yet. In the ninth inning, Taylor Trammell stepped up against Travis Adams and launched a fastball over the right field wall — 412 feet. Isaac Paredes came home too. The Astros cut the lead to 5-3 and the crowd was roaring now. But it got even crazier. Cam Smith came up again and smashed another rocket to left-center off reliever Yoendrys Gomez — 429 feet. Smith's second homer made it 5-4. The Astros had clawed back and made it a one-run game in the final inning. But Minnesota held on. Gomez slammed the door after that. The Twins escaped with a 5-4 victory. Minnesota improved to 41-45 with the road win. Houston fell to 42-45. The Twins are rolling with back-to-back victories, while the Astros drop their second straight.